BEEVILLE – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” takes place nearly a decade after the events of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and introduces us to the way mankind and ape live now.

There’s a fragile truce between the two races; leave us alone, and we’ll leave you alone. But the human race is desperately trying to cling onto its hold as the dominant race as they just can’t seem to get along, and violence and lack of resources are ravaging their small camps.

The story follows one of these camps as small group of humans decide to try and make it to a hydroelectric dam, which is located in the apes’ sanctuary, to restore limited electricity, and hope, to a small portion of humanity.

Well, events unspool after agreements are set between the races, and all-out war ensues.

Of course, there’s a lot more to the plot than that, but you have to watch the film to get all the details.

The main reason everybody will probably see the movie is because of the effects.

No real monkeys were harmed in the making of this movie. But it’s really hard to tell.

The apes in the film are top-notch quality, with most being made using motion capture technology, where an actor is dressed in a suit than captures his emotions and actions, and then they use the information to animate apes over them.

And for the size and scale of this film, it’s an amazing achievement.

We’re treated to really great close-ups which delve into what each simian character is thinking and feeling, sometimes without even a word being uttered.

So that’s some pretty impressive stuff right there.

Andy Serkis, who plays Caesar, the leader of the ape civilization, is known for playing King Kong in the latest film reincarnation of the giant gorilla and, of course, Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He breathes life into the technical wizardry, and the audience quickly forgets that he’s not even a real chimp.

And even though the movie clocks in at just over two hours, it doesn’t really feel that way. It runs at a smooth pace with lots of ape action and intensity to keep audiences at the edge of their seat.

The score is also worth mentioning because it accents nearly every piece of the film whether it be action or sadness or compassion. The music carries each aspect beyond just what you’re seeing on screen and envelopes the audience in a cloak of emotion.

The score’s slight hints at ’70s sci-fi films make even more enjoyable.

Overall, the film is a great achievement in not just technical advances but storytelling as well.

It’s a rare film that will have you rooting for both the antagonists and the protagonists at the same time. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” carries the film beyond the originals and 2000’s remake and beyond and gets you excited about seeing the next chapter unfold, sure to hit theaters in the next few years.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is now showing in 2D and 3D at Rio 6 Cinemas, 806 E. Houston St. in Beeville.